Food for Thought

This may sound trite, but it’s true: eating the right foods can help you do better in school.

Here’s why. All the functions of the brain are biochemical processes with some electricity thrown into the mix. In a nutshell, brain cells communicate with each other and the rest of the body by releasing these wonderfully fashioned chemicals called neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitters trigger a frenetic exchange of electrical messages between cells, and voilà—brain function. It’s what enables you to think, analyze, solve problems, remember, and… the list goes on.

But none of this could happen without the right ammo—the nutrients in the food you eat.

Ever wondered why you have an easier time remembering things that happened when you were emotionally or intellectually stimulated, especially after a rewarding session from your SAT tutoring? It’s because your brain cells are best at building new connections when they are excited. And the delicious neurotransmitter that makes this happen, acetylcholine, can’t be produced without certain precursors. Try eating eggs, liver, soybeans, cabbage and wheat germ (to name a few), and you should have an easier time remembering those pesky formulas and definitions.

Two other key neurotransmitters are dopamine and serotonin. These make you feel happy and help you focus! Dopamine keeps you driven and motivated, and serotonin works to stabilize your mood. These forces combined can improve concentration and help you get through even the toughest assignments. To ensure a steady supply of these feel-good messengers, look to slow-release, protein-rich foods like meat and dairy products.

And while we’re on the topic of brain-powering foods, consider incorporating omega-3 fatty acids into your diet. These help build and maintain the fatty sheath that insulates the nerve fibers in your brain. Messages couldn’t flow freely between brain cells without it. So the more of these fats you get by eating fish (especially wild salmon) and nuts, the better and faster your brain will operate!